Fishful Thinking
Week 2 Activity: Spring Cleaning – Bag It Up!
Ingredient: Optimism, Emotional Awareness
Ages: Grade 2 to Grade 5
From Dr. Reivich:
It is finally here, springtime! It’s a time of renewal, rejuvenation and — spring cleaning! Our desire to start fresh each spring doesn’t have to stop with cleaning out drawers and bagging up all the hand-me-downs. This can also be a good time to take stock of our mental clutter, and help ourselves and our children to “bag up” any old perceptions that no longer fit.
One of my sons found the start of this school year challenging and would wake up in the morning with thoughts like; “I don’t like my class,” “I won’t do well,” “I can’t do the homework,” swirling around in his head. It was a rough start. But rough starts don’t have to mean rough middles or endings. Now, he’s enjoying school, finding the homework to be manageable and liking his class.
I can help my son develop confidence by talking with him about “those old beliefs that just don’t fit anymore.” In doing this, I’m helping him to take notice of how he’s grown—not just physically, but mentally, too!
How to Bag It Up!
Help your child to take stock of the mental clutter. Start by sharing an example of a negative belief that you want to get rid of. Write the belief on a slip of paper and then put it into a bag labeled “giveaways.” (If your child will find the “bagging up” part silly, simply talk through examples of beliefs that are no longer accurate.) After you’ve given your example, ask your child to come up with examples of his or her own. These questions will help:
• Is there something that you used to think about yourself that no longer seems to fit? Examples: “I’m not smart enough” or “I can’t do that.” Can you give examples of how that old belief no longer fits?
• Can you think of a negative thought you have that gets in your way or makes you feel down about yourself? Examples: “Nobody likes me” or “I stink at sports.” What is some evidence that proves that belief is not true?
• What is one thing you are doing now that you weren’t able to do last year?
Getting rid of things that no longer “fit” creates extra space, and that feels good. This spring set a goal of cleaning out negative beliefs, and filling up that extra space with Optimism!
Article for Mom:
Live Long and Smile; Keep Smiling, Be Healthy (Natural Life magazine)
According to a recent study, maintaining an optimistic perspective throughout your daily life can have a beneficial effect on your physical health. In fact, positive thinking may just help you to live longer!
Legal stuff - I am a Mom-bassador for the Fishful Thinking website and as such, I am eligible for prizes and incentives based on my activities and the traffic I generate to the site. Please contact me if you are interested in becoming a Mom-bassador too.
Week 2 Activity: Spring Cleaning – Bag It Up!
Ingredient: Optimism, Emotional Awareness
Ages: Grade 2 to Grade 5
From Dr. Reivich:
It is finally here, springtime! It’s a time of renewal, rejuvenation and — spring cleaning! Our desire to start fresh each spring doesn’t have to stop with cleaning out drawers and bagging up all the hand-me-downs. This can also be a good time to take stock of our mental clutter, and help ourselves and our children to “bag up” any old perceptions that no longer fit.
One of my sons found the start of this school year challenging and would wake up in the morning with thoughts like; “I don’t like my class,” “I won’t do well,” “I can’t do the homework,” swirling around in his head. It was a rough start. But rough starts don’t have to mean rough middles or endings. Now, he’s enjoying school, finding the homework to be manageable and liking his class.
I can help my son develop confidence by talking with him about “those old beliefs that just don’t fit anymore.” In doing this, I’m helping him to take notice of how he’s grown—not just physically, but mentally, too!
How to Bag It Up!
Help your child to take stock of the mental clutter. Start by sharing an example of a negative belief that you want to get rid of. Write the belief on a slip of paper and then put it into a bag labeled “giveaways.” (If your child will find the “bagging up” part silly, simply talk through examples of beliefs that are no longer accurate.) After you’ve given your example, ask your child to come up with examples of his or her own. These questions will help:
• Is there something that you used to think about yourself that no longer seems to fit? Examples: “I’m not smart enough” or “I can’t do that.” Can you give examples of how that old belief no longer fits?
• Can you think of a negative thought you have that gets in your way or makes you feel down about yourself? Examples: “Nobody likes me” or “I stink at sports.” What is some evidence that proves that belief is not true?
• What is one thing you are doing now that you weren’t able to do last year?
Getting rid of things that no longer “fit” creates extra space, and that feels good. This spring set a goal of cleaning out negative beliefs, and filling up that extra space with Optimism!
Article for Mom:
Live Long and Smile; Keep Smiling, Be Healthy (Natural Life magazine)
According to a recent study, maintaining an optimistic perspective throughout your daily life can have a beneficial effect on your physical health. In fact, positive thinking may just help you to live longer!
Legal stuff - I am a Mom-bassador for the Fishful Thinking website and as such, I am eligible for prizes and incentives based on my activities and the traffic I generate to the site. Please contact me if you are interested in becoming a Mom-bassador too.
1 comment:
I am SO doing this! Negativity is so good at 'creeping' in and taking over!! Great post:)
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